A 45-year-old professor from Haryana was booked for allegedly stealing a replica of the famous Mohenjodaro ‘Dancing Girl’ statue from the National Museum in Lutyens’ Delhi, officials said. The incident occurred on Saturday.

According to a complaint by Nikhil Kumar, a clerk at the museum, he received a call around 4 pm from a CISF sub-inspector (SI), who informed him that a statue from Anubhav Vithika (Gallery) had gone missing.

“Checks were conducted immediately, and visitors were scanned. On reviewing CCTV footage, one individual was seen picking up the replica. CISF officials managed to identify the person, who was a professor, on the museum premises and nabbed him,” the police said.

The CISF, responsible for museum security, informed the local police, who then took over the investigation. The stolen statue was recovered from the accused.

The professor had visited Delhi, but the police have yet to ascertain the reason for the theft of the statue. A case has been registered at Kartavya Path Police Station under sections 305(e) (theft in a dwelling house, transport, or place of worship) and 317(2) (receiving stolen property). The accused has been questioned further.

About the ‘Dancing Girl’ replica

The 4,500-year-old bronze figurine, excavated in 1926, measures just 10.5 cm in height. It depicts a nude girl, adorned only with multiple bangles and a necklace.

This is not the first time the museum has faced such thefts. In 2018, a man from Haryana stole a replica of an Olduvai hand axe, believed to be 1.5 million years old and originally from Tanzania.

Police said the accused was already facing four criminal cases. He was later arrested in Pataudi, Haryana, and the stolen replica was recovered.